


Merry Christmas, I'm Yours

by captain_staryeyed



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, Christmas Cookies, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Hallmark Movies, One Shot, THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED, snow ball fight, two clueless dorks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-28 04:04:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17175530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captain_staryeyed/pseuds/captain_staryeyed
Summary: After finding out that Rey has nowhere to go for Christmas, Ben invites her to spend Christmas at his parents’ house. During the time spent together, they are forced to confront their growing feelings toward each other.





	Merry Christmas, I'm Yours

**Author's Note:**

> title based off of Brittain Ashford's song of the same name.

“Here’s the next one,” Rose said as she handed a jolly snowman ornament up to Rey.

From her perch on the step stool, Rey scanned the top of the tree, trying to find the perfect space to place the homemade ornament. The two roommates had spent the entire previous night making ornaments to hang on their tree.

The hum of one of her friend’s many Hallmark Christmas movies filled the air. Although she wouldn’t admit it aloud, Rey found herself inexplicably invested in the story. There was something about the formulaic movies that seized her attention.

The oven dinged.

“Cookies are ready!” Rey hopped off the step stool and rushed into the kitchen.

Mouthwatering with anticipation, Rey slipped an oven mitt on and took the tray out of the oven.

She let out a mournful groan. The metal tray clattered on the stove top.

“What’s wrong?” Rose called from the living room.

“These look nothing like how they did on Pinterest.”

She heard her roommate pause the television and join her in the kitchen.

“Oh, no!” Rose said upon seeing the misshapen cookies. “Well, do they at least taste okay.”

Rey responded by picking up a cookie and hastily blowing on it. When she determined it wouldn’t be too hot, she took a bite. After chewing it twice, she spat it back out into the napkin.

“ _Way_ too sweet.”

Rose took the rest of the uneaten cookie from Rey’s hand and took a bite out of it.

“How much sugar did you put in these?” she winced in between bites.

“Just as much as the recipe called for.” She glanced at the oven clock. “What time are we supposed to be at the boy’s party? Maybe I can make another batch.”

Rose jolted at the realization of what time it was. “Yeah, no. Even if we had time, I don’t think you should try to make another batch.”

“You really lack confidence in my baking abilities, don’t you Rose?”

“You almost burned the apartment down last week trying to make cupcakes.”

Rey frowned at the memory. “Fine, we can pick up some cookies on the way there.”

Rose touched her friend’s arm. “Hey, it’s okay. Baking can be hard sometimes. We can try again later.”

She nodded, her confidence slowly rebuilding itself. Rose smiled at her, then excused herself to go get ready for the party.

Rey observed the mess she had made. She tried to not let her failure get her down too much, after all, she hadn’t started learning how to bake until she and Rose moved into their apartment a few months ago. Until then, the microwave had been the only cooking appliance she’d ever touched. And unlike Rose, she had never had anyone to teach her how to cook when she was growing up.

She shook off the creeping dark thoughts threatening to spoil her mood and returned to the task at hand. She pitched the rest of the tainted batch and cleaned up the counters as best she could. By the time she had finished, she nearly sprinted to her room to change out of her flour clad clothes.

 

Cars lined the street outside the boy’s apartment. Rey’s insides tied in knots at the thought of being in a crowded place with people she barely knew for the next few hours. Of course, she knew it would be this way. After all, it was Poe’s Christmas party. The social butterfly could befriend a rock if given enough time.

Rose barely lifted her hand to knock before the door swung open.

“Hey, Peanut. Hey, Rosie. Welcome to the party!” Finn enveloped each girl in a bear hug.

“How’d you know we were here?” Rey asked as Finn pulled away.

“He’s been standing by the window waiting for Rose to show up.” Poe appeared at the door. “Oh, good! You brought food! Let me put that in the kitchen.”

Rey handed him the box of red and green frosted cookies as she stepped inside the house. Guests milled about the house and took up every available chair. She recognized a few of them from college but didn’t know them well enough to feel confident approaching them.

Rey turned back to Finn and Rose, only to find them still on the pouch, speaking in low voices and grinning like lovers. She turned away just as Rose stood up on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on Finn’s cheek.

Face heating, she turned her gaze from the two and back to the party. A brightly lit tree, decorated with tinsel and various ornaments, towered in the corner. Over the fireplace hung four stockings, each one bore one of the resident's names (including Poe’s dog, BeeBee) written in a crude handwriting. Rey instantly knew that Poe had written on the stockings because the handwriting did not fit Finn’s block letter style nor Ben’s clean cursive.

She furrowed her brow, noticing the absence of her friends’ third roommate. “Where’s Ben?”

“Haven’t seen him since the first guests arrived. Must be hidden up in his room, the old hermit.” Poe chuckled, then turned to greet Kaydel and Jessika, who had just arrived.

Rey excused herself and walked down the hall, weaving through bodies. When she reached Finn and Poe’s moody roommate’s room, she lightly knocked on the door.

“Go away,” his muffled voice said from within.

She rolled her eyes and entered anyway. Ben, donned in flannel pajama bottoms and a plain black tee shirt, lay on his bed, typing away on his laptop.

“This room is off limits,” he snapped without taking his eyes off his screen.

“You really do need to work on your people skills. That’s no way to talk to your guest.”

At the sound of her voice, Ben’s head jerked up, lips involuntarily twitching into a faint smile. Rey smirked at him, knowing that underneath his long, gorgeous hair, his ears were flushed bright red.

“Been working on your next literary masterpiece, I presume.” She sat at the end of his bed, as he moved his legs to give her more room.

“I wouldn’t say _literary masterpiece_.” He set the laptop aside to give her his full attention, even though he was itching to continue typing.

“Well, whatever it is, can I read it?”

He smirked. “Maybe later, when it’s more presentable.”

“Why aren’t you out there with the party?”

“I could ask you the same question.”

Neither of them particularly cared for loud, crowded settings. It was one of the things they bonded over when Poe had introduced them the previous summer at his Fourth of July party. They had ended up stealing a mound of food and spending the rest of the night in his room talking as episodes of _The Office_ played on his laptop in the background.

Rey, like she always did with him, found herself speaking with raw honesty. “I felt out of place. Rose and Finn are off who knows where, and Poe is playing host. I just needed a break from trying to make small talk with people I barely know.”

Ben nodded, completely understanding how she felt like he always seemed to. He pulled his laptop back up and typed a bit on it. “We left off on season five right?”

She smiled and shuffled over to sit beside him at the head of the bed. Ever since the Fourth of July party, any time Poe had hosted a party or any sort of get together, Ben and Rey would go to his room to watch _The Office_. 

After spending most of the time in silence, which was only broken by the occasional laugh, she admitted in a low voice. “I never got a real Christmas while I was growing up.”

Ben turned his attention to her. She fiddled with the hairband on her wrist, refusing to look at either him or the laptop screen.

“Then college came, and I had Finn to celebrate it with. Then senior year we met Poe, who threw even crazier parties than this. And this year I have you and Rose...and I...I had this whole day planned in my head. Just the five of us and BeeBee of course.” Her lips twitched into a faint smile. “I had this whole meal planned, too. Of course, I didn’t plan on everyone else already having plans. I was just hoping to not spend another year alone.”

“Why don’t you come to my parent’s house for Christmas?”

Eyes wide, she looked up at him. 

Ben’s cheeks burned pink, and he hastily continued. “I mean if you don’t have any other plans.”

Rey knew Ben had a tense relationship with his parents, so hearing that he was spending Christmas with them surprised her. Although, from what he had told her, he’d been trying to rebuild his relationship with his mother. The fact that he was even going to make the attempt to spend the holiday with them made her admiration for him swell. 

“Okay.”

“Really?” 

“Yeah. I’ll go with you.”

A smile spread across his face. “Mom likes planning these lavish parties for her political friends and was wanting me to come up the twenty-third to help set up, but if you’re not comfortable spending the night, I can just bring you up on Christmas day.”

“No, I’m fine with spending the night if your parents are okay with the extra guest,” Rey decided. 

The door swung open, Poe hanging on the handle. Ben scowled at the other man.

“Oh, there you are, Rey. I was wondering if you’d seen BeeBee.” he chewed on his bottom lip. “No one’s seen him in a while, and with all of these people coming in and out, I hope he hasn’t wandered out into the streets.”

At the sound of his owner’s voice, the orange corgi poked his head out from underneath Ben’s bed.

“BeeBee!” Poe threw out his arms, and his dog trotted over to him.

Rey gasped. “Aww, that is such an adorable little sweater!”

BeeBee, tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth, turned around to face her at the mention of his gaudy Christmas tree sweater. 

“Yeah, General Hugs said it was too small for Millicent, so he gave it to BeeBee. You’re a handsome little boy, aren’t ya buddy,” Poe cooed. “Oh, Rey, Rose has been trying to get ahold of you. Let’s go, Beebee”

The small dog happily followed Poe out of the room, letting out the occasional bark, as if responding to his owner’s comments to him.

Rey pulled out her phone. Sure enough, she had several unread texts from Rose, telling her that she was ready to leave. She gasped when she checked the time.

“Well, it’s late, and Rose wants to go, so I guess I’ll see you later.”

“I was planning on leaving Sunday morning at seven. I can come pick you up a little before them.” 

Rey, ever the morning person, nodded. “Sounds good. I’ll see you then.”

She walked out of his room before she heard his reply.

“See you then,” he murmured, the corners of his lips slightly upturned.

 

“You know you’re still welcome to come with Finn and me.” Rose stood in the doorway of Rey’s bedroom the next night.

Rey smiled at her friend. She knew that if she agreed, she’d feel out of place the entire time. The Ticos were a rather large and boisterous family.

“Thank you, but I actually already have plans.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah, Ben invited me over to his parent’s house.”

Rose raised her eyebrow. “ _Really?_ ”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Oh, nothing,” Rose plopped down on her bed and clutched one of Rey’s pillows to her chest. “I just think it’s a bit odd that he’s invited you over to spend the holiday with his family and you two aren’t even dating.”

“You invited me over to spend the holiday with your family, and we aren’t dating.”

“But that’s different. We’re friends.”

“So are Ben and I.” 

Rose smirked. “C’mon, I’ve seen the way you two look at each other.”

Rey scowled at her roommate over the clothes she was folding. “You’ve been watching too many Hallmark movies.”

She shrugged. “So what if I have? You and Ben still look at each other with doe eyes.” She laid down across her friend’s bed. “Poe and I started a betting pool on when the two of you will finally get together.”

“What?” Rey incredulously looked up at her friend.

“Poe thinks you’ll get together by Valentine’s Day, but I say you’ll get together before the new year.”

“ _Rose!_ ”

“Hux and Phas are in on it too. We tried to get Finn in on it, but he’s about as oblivious to these things as you are.”

She put her face in her hand. “Does Ben know about this?”

“As far as I know, no.” Rose stood up to leave. “I’m going to make some hot chocolate. You want some?”

“Um, sure, yeah.” 

Rey tried to process all that Rose had told her. She’d never thought of him like _that_. At least, she didn’t think she’d ever thought of him like that. Sure he was one of the best looking guys she had ever seen. And sure his laugh made her weak in the knees. She also loved spending time with him. And yeah, she may have wondered a few times what it would feel like to kiss those soft looking lips of his, but that didn’t mean she liked him like that.

_Did she?_

She shook the thoughts from her head and put on a YouTube video to keep her mind from returning to those thoughts. She pulled her small, beat up suitcase from her closet and packed her folded clothes in it.

 

Later that night, as she tossed and turned in bed, begging sleep to take her, Rose’s words swirled in her mind.

 

Sunday morning, Rey woke up to the sound of someone knocking on the front door. She groaned and rolled out of bed, knowing that Rose would not be awake to answer it.

When she got to the door, she glanced through the peephole. 

“Crap.”

She quickly opened the door and let a tired Ben inside.

“I tried texting you, but you didn’t respond.”

Rey grimaced. “Sorry, I guess I slept through it.” 

“I can wait if you need to pack--”

“No, no, I packed last night. I just need to get dressed and brush my teeth. You can help yourself to anything in the fridge.” Careful to not wake Rose, she called out as she ran back to her room.

When she came back out, she found Ben standing at the stove, frying pan in hand. Rose sat eating at the table.

“Ben made omelets!” Rose said, mouth filled with egg and bell pepper.

“Really?”

“I made you a ham and cheese one.” He nodded to the counter behind him where he had placed her’s.

“Thank you. That was really nice of you, Ben.” Rey patted his arm as she passed by him to pick up her plate.

Ben ducked his head, red creeping up the back of his neck. 

She sat down next to Rose and eagerly dug into her food. In between bites, she stole glances at Ben as he prepared his own breakfast. Rose caught Rey staring at Ben as he placed chopped tomatoes on his plate next to his omelet.

She nudged her friend’s foot under the table. Rey whipped her head around at her. Rose waggled her eyebrows and, plate in hand stood up.

“Thank you again for the veggie omelet,” she set her plate in the sink. “You two don’t worry about the dishes, I’ll get them later.”

“Thanks, Rose,” Rey said.

“Oh, it’s _no_ problem.” The way Rose said it made her think that she wasn’t talking about doing the dishes.

Ben took the seat across from her, and the two ate in silence.

When they were done, they set their plates in the sink and headed to his car. Despite Rey’s protests, he carried her bag out to the car. While he put her suitcase in the trunk with his, she loaded the presents she had bought and wrapped the day before in the backseat. 

Relief washed over her when she saw that he had also brought immaculately wrapped presents. She didn’t know if the Organa-Solos were a gift giving family, considering their seemingly rocky relationship with each other and how un-sentimental their son turned out. She had taken the gamble the day before and went out and bought the three of them gifts. After all, it was better to be over prepared than show up empty-handed.

“About how long is it to your parent’s house?” she asked as she buckled her seat.

“Around four hours.”

She gaped at him.

“Do you want to put on music or a podcast or something?”

“Uh, sure.”

As they drove out of her apartment complex, Rey fiddled with the radio until she found a station playing Christmas songs.

“So, when will I ever get to read the elusive manuscript of Benjamin Solo?”

“When I’m done editing it.”

“You’ve been editing it for months,” she pouted.

“Trust me, it’s needed it,” he turned on his turn signal. “Besides, I’m almost done.”

“And then can I read it?”

“We’ll see. How’s work at the garage?”

She brightened at the mention of her job. It was her dream job, really, to be able to take broken things and figure out how to fix them. Ever since Unkar Plutt, one in the long like of foster parents she had been dumped on, forced her to work at his junkyard salvaging old parts, she had had a love for machinery. It was really the only good thing that came out of her experience with that man.

“It’s great! Chewy’s an amazing boss. I still can’t believe I’m working for your uncle. Oh, speaking of which, I’ve got to be back on the twenty-sixth, I have work.”

“Uncle Chewy’s making you work so soon after Christmas?”

“No, my other job at the cafe.”

“You’re still working there? I thought you quit.”

“Not all of us have a trust fund to fall back on.”

“Ouch.”

She snickered. The two continued their back and forth, occasionally broken by Rey singing (horrendously offkey) along to the carols on the radio. The time passed by like the scenery out the window.

 

As they pulled into the driveway, Rey stared wide-eyed at the enormous house-- _mansion_ \--in front of them.

“You told me your parents lived in a big house, but I didn’t expect it to look like this. Who even lives in a house this big!”

“My mom inherited the estate from her adopted parents after they passed. I know Bail was a big political figure, and I think Breha Organa was the heir to the throne of some small country.”

She blinked at him. She had been slightly nervous to intrude on his family’s holiday celebrations, but after hearing what he had told her, she was downright intimidated.

“Hey,” he said, sensing her fear. “It’s going to be okay. My mother was thrilled to hear that you were coming. She loves entertaining guests.”

With that, he got out to unload their luggage. Rey took a deep breath to collect her nerves, then went to help him.

Ben pressed the doorbell. The sound of footsteps echoed from inside. A short, graying woman opened the door. 

“Benjamin Chewbacca Organa-Solo, you were supposed to be here an hour ago! Han and I were beginning to wonder if you would even show up.”

“It’s good to see you too.”

“Oh, come here. You know I’m always glad to see you.”

The older woman pulled her son into a bear hug. Rey watched as his initially stiffened posture slowly melted until he was hunching over to properly hug his mother back. When they finally broke apart, Ben’s mother turned to her.

“And you must be Rey,” Leia said taking Rey’s hands in her own. 

“Mrs. Organa, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Please, dear, call me Leia. Ben has told me so much about you.”

“ _Mom._ ”

“I wish I could say the same for your father, but all he's said is Chewbacca told him that she's a good mechanic, which is high praise for Han. Anyways, it's a shame that it's taken this long for us to meet. Now come in, come in. We are letting all of the warm air out. ”

Leia led the two inside. “Ben, why don’t you show Rey to the guest room?”

“Which one?”

“The blue one.”

He nodded. They placed the presents they had brought under the Christmas tree, which looked like it had come straight from a magazine cover, then led he her upstairs.

“This house has more than one guest room?” Rey half whispered as she struggled to drag her suitcase up the stairs.

“It has three. Here, let me get that for you.” Ben reached over to grab her suitcase from her, their hands brushing as he did so.

Instead of letting him take it from her, she kept her grip on the handle. He glanced from where their hands rested against each other to her. 

“You don’t have to,” she said, incredibly aware of how close he was to her at that moment. And she could have sworn she caught his eyes flickering down to her lips as she spoke.

_Just friends._

“My mom raised me to be a gentleman,” he said in a soft voice. “She’d kill me if she saw me let you continue to carry that.”

“I’m perfectly capable of carrying it.”

“I know,” he smiled, taking the luggage from her as soon as she unconsciously loosened her grip. “But let me do this for you.”

With that, he turned and continued up the stairs. She huffed and followed him.

He set her stuff down outside of a closed bedroom door.

“Here it is,” he turned the handle and let the door slowly glide open.

“Hey, Rey?”

She turned back to him. “Hmm?”

“Thanks again. For coming.”

“You don’t have to keep thanking me. I’m glad to be here.”

He ducked his head and rubbed the back of his neck. She watched him shuffle off to his own room down the hall.

 _This is going to be a long few days._

 

“Ben, can you put these poinsettias above the cabinets?” Leia asked.

The three of them stood in the kitchen, preparing for the party which would be starting in a few hours. Rey carefully arranged freshly washed and sliced fruits on a crystal platter. Leia had mentioned that the caterers she had booked would only be providing the main course and a few sides, so they were in charge of appetizers and finger foods.

“Why didn’t you have Threepio do it?” he asked, referring to Leia’s personal assistant.

“Because D’Acy just dropped them off this morning,” she continued laying the snickerdoodles on her own platter.

Ben huffed but obeyed. He reached up to set the first potted flower above the cabinets, his shirt rising up to expose a sliver of his skin in the process. At the sight, Rey wrenched her head away and forced herself to focus back on the task at hand.

She cleared her throat and looked around the island. “You don’t have many deserts.” 

“My friend, Amylin, should be here soon with her famous peppermint cheesecake and the rest of the deserts.”

“Oh.”

“And I think we are done. Rey, why don’t you run along and get dressed for the party. And Ben, could you go tell your father that he needs to get cleaned up. He’s out in the garage. ”

Ben bristled at the mention of his father.

“I can tell him,” Rey offered. She knew that if Ben and Han were alone for any amount of time, a fight was sure to break out.

Leia pointed her in the direction of the garage.

Rey found Han bent over the engine of an old car.

She gasped. “Is that a ‘77 Falcon convertible?”

“Sure is,” Han boomed with pride. He stood up and wiped his hands on a dingy rag. “Restored it myself.”

“I’ve never seen one of these in real life.”

“You’re that girl Chewy’s told me about. The one he just hired, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“ _Bah,_ don’t give me any of that ‘sir’ stuff. The name’s Han.”

“Rey.”

“Well, Rey, would you like to help me work on her tomorrow?” he patted the side of the vehicle.

She almost squealed in joy. “Yes,” she stammered. “Oh, Leia says that you need to get cleaned up.”

“Tell her I’ll be in in a moment,” he grunted and waved her off.

Rey could barely contain her excitement.

 _Wait ‘til the boys at the garage hear that_ I _got to work on an original Falcon._

 

Rey pulled her dress over her head, glad that Ben had told her the party was a semi-formal event. The dress, a sleeveless v-neck that she had found at a thrift store a few months before, was a shade of green that reminded her of the forest. At the time, she had been unsure about her purchase, but Rose had fawned over it, urging Rey to get it because it brought out the green in her normally hazel eyes. 

Looking at it now, she hoped that it would be nice enough for the party. Rey had never considered herself to care too much about her appearance, but she would rather not stick out like a sore thumb amongst all of Leia’s high-end friends.

She sat down at the vanity, briefly wondering if she should have brought makeup to wear. However, she knew if she had, she wouldn’t know how to properly apply it unless Rose was there to help or to at least tell her she was doing it right.

She set out to work on her hair. Pulling her brush through the knots was fine, it was styling her hair that caused her the most trouble. All Rey really knew how to do was a ponytail or some form of a bun. She tried to throw her hair up into a tasteful bun, but with each failed attempt she became more and more frustrated. 

Her head pounded. She cursed herself for getting so worked up over something seemingly insignificant. But still, the thought of looking like a fool in front of Leia’s friends filled her with a sense of dread. She wondered if she could just hide up in her room, and invite Ben to continue with their watch of _The Office_. 

But she knew his mother wanted them present during the party.

As if summoned, Leia knocked on Rey’s door. “Are you almost ready, dear?”

Rey hastily wiped the angry tears from under her eyes.

“Oh, Rey, what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing. I just can’t seem to get my hair right.”

“Oh here, let me do that.”

“You don’t have to. I’m sure you’re busy.”

“Nonsense. Threepio’s supervising the caterers setting up, and Amilyn’s already here, so she can open the door. Lord knows we don’t need Han or Ben opening the door. Those Solo men don’t have the best people skills as I’m sure you’ve noticed. Now, hand me that brush.”

Leia gently ran the brush through Rey’s hair. She split the younger woman’s hair off into sections and twisted them together, occasionally telling her to turn her head.

After a while, Rey began to relax. Having someone else do her hair felt nice. She wondered if this was what having a mother felt like. Someone who would take time out of their day to do something for you. Someone who cared for you and didn’t expect anything in return.

For a moment, she was jealous of Ben getting to grow up with both parents. She became angry that he couldn’t see that he was blessed to have been raised by two people who loved him. But she knew that there was more to the story. He had told her bits and pieces of his past. Of feeling ignored by his workaholic parents. Of overhearing them fight while he was trying to go to sleep. 

Her anger subsided as Leia put the finishing touches on her hair. She and Ben had already fought and come to terms with each other’s crappy childhoods. It wouldn’t do to bring it up again.

“Done,” Leia placed the hairbrush back down on the vanity. 

Rey nearly gasped as she inspected the braid crown Leia had created. Her hair had never been in such an elegant style. She was almost afraid to move her head, lest the whole thing comes tumbling down.

Leia frowned at her handiwork. “It needs one final touch. Stay here.”

The older woman walked out of the guest room, only to return a few moments later with a fist full of baby’s breath. She took her place behind Rey and carefully stuck the tiny flowers in her braid. When she was done, she placed her hands on Rey’s shoulders.

“Perfect,” she said, inspecting the braid.

Rey nearly burst into tears at her reflection in the mirror.

“I’ve always wanted a daughter whose hair I could braid. Shouldn’t have wished so hard, seeing as to how long Ben’s hair was when he was in high school,” she sighed at the memory. “I swear, every time I told him he needed to get his haircut, he acted like it was the end of the world.” 

Rey continued to admire the braid, moving carefully as to not cause it to fall out of place.

“Well, we should head downstairs. Don’t want the party to start without us.”

“‘A queen is never late. Everyone else is simply early,’” Rey quoted.

Eyes twinkling, Leia smiled. “Oh, I like that. I think I’m going to start using that.”

“ _Princess Diaries 2_.” Rey mumbled in explanation.

“I haven’t watched it, but I will now. Now come,” she took the younger girl’s arm in her’s. “Let’s go.”

The two linked arms and went to join the rest of the party.

“Woah.” Ben stood up.

Rey blushed under the heat of his gaze. His eyes roamed over her, drinking her in. Half of her wanted to shrivel underneath his intensity. The other, louder half of her was emboldened by his attention.

“You look, uh,” he stammered. “You look...nice.”

“What a way with words. And your father and I paid how much for you to take all those poetry classes?”

A primly dressed man with greying blonde hair--Threepio, Rey surmised--scurried over to Leia. “Oh, Ms. Organa, by my calculations, we are off schedule by approximately three minutes and twenty-eight seconds. If we don’t get back on schedule, you will be late.”

“‘A queen is never late. Everyone else is simply early.’” Leia shared a conspiratorial look with Rey.

“I beg your pardon, Ms.--”

“That’s enough, Threepio. The guests are arriving soon. We have work to do.”

Leia strutted off, like a woman on a mission, Threepio in tow.

“You _do_ look nice.”

“You’re not so bad yourself,” she playfully nudged his arm with hers.

The doorbell rang, signaling the beginning of the party.

 

Glasses clinked against one another. Cheerful laughter echoed throughout the house. Rey poured herself a cup of hot cocoa, mindful to keep out of the way of the caterers packing up.

The party was winding down, but no one seemed ready to leave. Leia had introduced her to more people than whose names she could remember. 

Her body sagged under the weight of the day’s activities. She could hardly believe that it was only that morning that she and Ben had come arrived. Her bones longed to test out the guest bed. If the state of the rest of the house was an indication of anything, she bet that the bed would be the softest thing she had ever slept in.

“So you’re the girl my nephew’s been ogling over?”

A man no taller than her appeared in front of her. Something about him seemed familiar, but she wasn’t sure if Leia had introduced her to him.

“Excuse me?”

“Name’s Luke,” the man stuck his hand out for her to shake.

Recognition dawned on her. She had seen him in a few of the pictures hanging around the house. She noted that he had the same mischievous twinkle in his eyes she had seen in his sister’s.

“Rey,” she shook his hand. “And Ben hasn’t been _ogling_ me.”

He shrugged. “If you say so.”

She decided to leave it alone, too wary to pick a fight.

“So, you’re Leia’s brother.”

“Twin, actually.”

“Oh. I’m surprised she didn’t introduce us.”

“I just arrived,” he snagged one of the leftover prawns from a tray. “Haven’t seen her yet. Not really big on parties or other social gatherings.”

“That makes two of us.”

He grinned. “Well, Rey, it was nice to meet you, but I’m going to turn in for the night. If you see Leia, could you tell her that I went up to my room.” He took a second look at the shrimp tray. With a shrug, he grabbed the whole thing. “And tell her she needs to order more of there shrimp next time.”

She watched the man leave, unsure of what she thought of Ben’s mysterious uncle.

A figure on the back patio caught Rey’s eye. At first, she thought it was merely a trick of the eye, but when she looked again, she caught movement. Someone clad in dark clothes sat in one of the lounge chairs.

_Ben._

Ben looked up as she slid the glass door closed. The ghost of her breath melded with the steam rising from her hot cocoa. Rey brushed the thin dusting of snow off the chair next to him and sat down.

Flurries fluttered down from the heavens, disappearing once they left the warm light spilling from the windows behind the two. 

Cold seeped through her clothes. Rey curled in on herself, cupping the delicate floral mug in her hands. She brought the drink up to her lips and was surprised that it was still hot enough to burn her tongue. Still, she drank, savoring the warmth pooling in her belly. She knew she should have grabbed her coat or a blanket before coming out. She could still go back in and grab one, but the air was calm. 

She starred out to the horizon. As her vision adjusted, trees wearing coats of white took shape. The peaceful melody of guest’s murmuring laced the background. Taking another sip of rich chocolate, the desert child understood how the man beside her could brave the cold for a moment of reprieve, instead of hiding away in some unoccupied room.

Ben shuffled in his seat, then held out a thick midnight blue blanket for her. She hadn’t even seen the fuzzy mass of cloth when she came out here. With a smile, she took it, her hand brushing his in the process. She set her empty cup down on the wicker side table and wrapped the blanket around her shoulders.

“Thank you, Ben.”

“You looked cold. I’m already wearing a coat. It’s the least I could do.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

His warm eyes glowed in the reflection of the party, his face as blank and utterly perfect as the freshly fallen snow. It suddenly struck her how much she appreciated him. Had she been sat any closer to him, she knew that she would have been unable to stop herself from leaning in and kissing him.

His eyes flicked down to her lips. If she wasn’t mistaken, he was having similar thoughts. Before she could ponder anymore on it, the back door slammed shut.

“I don’t know how you kids can stand the cold,” Han said as he tugged on his gloves.

The older man trudged over to the stack of firewood lining the wooden railing separating the porch from the rest of the yard. He wiped off the snow that had collected on a couple of the logs and dropped them into the stone fire pit the chairs formed a semicircle around. From his coat pocket, Han produced a crumpled old scrap of newspaper and a lighter. With luck and kerosene, he was able to start a fire for them.

The man sat back in his chair and admired his handy work.

The fire crackled and popped. Rey’s gaze followed specks of snow as they fell over the firepit, only to melt in midair as they neared.

Han grunted. “If it doesn’t warm up any by tomorrow, we won’t get a chance to work on the Falcon. Heater’s broken in the garage.”

Rey hummed in response, sad to say goodbye to the prospect of working on Han’s exquisite vehicle. But a childlike eagerness settled over her at the promise of a proper white Christmas. 

_Well, proper white Christmas Eve._

The three sat in a comfortable quiet, breathing in the smoky air. Someone inside started playing carols on the piano. Rey strained her ears over the clatter of voices to make out which songs the pianist played. As soon as she identified the piece, though, he would switch songs, forcing Rey to repeat the process all over again.

As the world grew colder, the noise from inside grew softer. When most of the crowd died, Han excused himself to go help his wife begin picking up. Rey knew she should go too. She was their guest after all. The least she could do was lessen their workload. But something anchored her to her spot. Maybe it was the calm of the sleeping world. Maybe it was the warmth of the fire, which had made the weather more bearable to face in a dress. Maybe it was the comforting presence of Ben still sitting next to her, even after his father had come and gone.

Maybe Rose was right. Maybe she did have feelings for him. Complicated, quiet feelings that she had been unable to see without someone pointing them out for her.

Maybe she was reading into things that really weren’t there.

But when Ben walked her to her room that night (which he didn’t have to) and thanked her for keeping him company during the party (which he had never done before) and briefly took her hand in his (which wasn’t all that brief), with a flutter in her heart she was certain.

She was falling for Ben Solo.

 

Christmas Eve passed by in a blur of cleaning solution and static-y old Christmas carols.

By the time they were done straightening the house from the party the night before, it was the late afternoon.

“This house is freezing,” Luke grumbled. 

The five of them sat in the living room. Han flipped through channels, scouring for a Christmas movie they could all agree on.

“Ben, why don’t you go get some wood, so we can get a fire going in this darn fireplace.”

“Luke, how many times have I told you, the fireplace is decorative?” Leia asked.

“I’ll clean it out. Ben?”

“ _Hmm?_ ” Adjusting his glasses, Ben, glancing up from his laptop, sounded from his place on the couch next to Rey.

“Could you go get some firewood?”

“Why don’t you do it yourself?” he huffed.

“Let’s both go,” Rey suggested. She grabbed his arm and tugged him to his feet.

Ben grumbled, but he followed Rey outside.

“How much do you think we’ll need?”

Ben brushed the layer of snow off of the logs. “Probably a few. Most of these are damp.”

A maniacal idea formed in her head. With her bare hands, she grabbed a fistful of snow from off of the logs.

A snowball hit him square in the face. He brushed off the ice, an irritated expression marring his face.

Rey snorted.

“ _What the hell, Niima?_ ”

She threw another snowball at him in response. This time he swiftly dodged the cold projectile. He dropped the firewood and grabbed a handful of snow. 

Rey’s eyes widened as he advanced towards her. Ducking, she ran off into the yard.

The snow crunched behind her, and she knew it wouldn’t be long before he caught up to her. At the risk of slowing down, she gathered another handful of snow, and, patting it into a ball, launched it behind her in his general direction. In another few feet, she repeated the act. 

Ben roared behind her. Pride swelled in her. She couldn’t celebrate her success too long, though. 

A snowball pegged her in the back.

She shrieked in glee.

Another snowball zoomed by her as she bent over to gather some more snow.

She risked a glance behind her as she threw the snowball at him. Her adrenaline spiked. He was only a few feet away from her.

Rey turned her attention back to escaping him. Another snowball flew by her. Then another. And another. And---

Her face slammed into the snow-covered ground. She tried to get back up, but something heavy had pinned her down. She looked behind her and realized that Ben had tackled her to the ground.

She choked out a laugh as she took in his excitement in vanquishing the snow-flinging beast.

He caught her eyes, and his smile faded.

His eyes widened. “Oh my god.”

He scrambled to his feet and was hovering over her in the blink of an eye.

“What are--” she winced and felt her face. When she removed her hand, she gasped. It was covered in blood.

“Here,” Ben gave her a lump of ice to hold on her chin. “I think you might have hit a rock or something. Gosh, Rey, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she grimaced. She tasted blood on her lips.

Without another word, he scooped her up into his arms and bridal carried her to the house.

“I’m fine. I can walk,” but as she protested, a wave of dizziness overcame her.

“Yeah, no. That’s a lot of blood.” He reached for the doorknob, careful to not bash her head against the door.

“Took you long enough,” Han called out. Then he noticed Rey. “What the hell happened.”

Instead of replying, Ben asked. “Mom, do you still have that first aid kit?”

“Yes, I’ll go get it.”

“Thanks,” Ben sat Rey down on the kitchen counter.

Rey watched him grab an ice pack from the freezer and wrap it in a paper towel. They traded the melting ice for the ice pack. Throwing the snow into the sink, Ben grabbed more paper towels and wet them.

“Tilt your head up?”

She did so. Gently, he began to wipe the blood off her face.

“You know,” she said as he scrubbed at her neck. “This isn’t what I imagined when you invited me here.”

He hummed in response.

Leia hurried into the kitchen and handed Ben the first aid kit.

“Are you okay, Rey?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just stings a little bit.”

“Okay, well, tell us if we need to take you to the emergency room.”

“Will do.”

Leia left them alone.

Rey removed the ice pack, so Ben could take a look at it. She hadn’t realized how tense his stature had been until she saw his shoulders relax.

“It isn’t deep enough to warrant an ER visit.”

He washed his hands, then took a tube of triple antibiotic from the first-aid kit. With one hand, he kept her chin tilted up, and with the other, he delicately applied the ointment. When he first touched the cut, she flinched, causing him to apologize again. 

Her eyes fluttered shut, as she savored the feeling of his hands against her skin. Judging from where all he placed the antibiotic, the cut was much longer than she had originally thought.

“You think I’m gonna get a scar?” she asked after he overlapped a second bandage on her chin.

He smirked. “Let’s hope not. After you shower tonight, you’re going to need to change bandages. I could do it if you want.”

“Okay, mom,” Rey rolled her eyes. 

She knew how to take care of herself, but she appreciated his concern. After having to take care of herself for most of her life, it felt nice to have someone want to take care of her. Plus, she’d be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy how close he had been to her.

She hopped off the counter. “I’ll come get you after my shower. Now, we should probably go get that firewood before your uncle gets frostbite.”

“She’s right!” Luke called from the other room.

 

Rey had been right that first night in assuming that the guest bed would be the softest thing she had ever slept on. She almost didn’t wake up Christmas morning.

_Almost._

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and hopped out of bed. Quickly making herself presentable, she dashed downstairs. In the living room, curled up on the couch sat Han and Leia scrolling through their tablets, _A Christmas Story_ playing on the TV in the background.

“Merry Christmas, Rey,” Leia smiled warmly.

“Merry Christmas.”

“There’s breakfast on the kitchen counter. I hope bacon and toast are okay with you.”

Rey found Luke at the kitchen table hunkered down over a plate of toast. Upon seeing one another, they exchanged their greetings. Plate in of food hand, she joined him at the table.

“We’re glad you were able to come, Rey.”

“Really?”

“It’s nice to see that that Ben of ours finally has friends. If you haven’t noticed, he’s a bit of a loner.”

“That’s an understatement.”

He sniggered, then went back to eating. Once they were done, they put their dishes in the sink and joined Han and Leia in the living room. 

Even on the third day there, Rey was still astounded by the size of their house. The high ceiling accommodated for their enormous Christmas tree. A flat-screen TV hung over the fireplace. A mini grand piano sat near the wall, far enough away from the couches for it not to feel too crowded.

She was so lost in her observations, she almost didn’t hear Leia address her.

“Rey, why don't you go see if Ben’s up yet?”

When she was about halfway up the stairs, she overheard Leia speak in a low, scolding voice. 

“Han, you take that mistletoe down right now!”

“What?” He said, trying to act innocent. “This is the best shot we have at getting grandkids. You and I both know that that boy of ours isn’t going to make a move without a little push.”

Rey flushed and bounded up the rest of the steps up to her room as fast as she could, nearly barreling into Ben in the process.

“You okay?” he placed his hands on her shoulders, steadying her.

“Oh, um, yeah. Leia sent me up here to see if you were still asleep, but…”

“Just woke up,” his voice had a groggy rasp to it, corroborating his statement. He straightened his glasses. “Guess she’s ready for presents?”

“I guess…”

“Let’s go, then. Don’t want to keep her waiting.”

 

“Oh, Rey, it’s lovely,” Leia said, pulling out the cashmere scarf she had found at TJ Maxx. “But you didn’t have to give me a gift.”

The five of them sat in the living room, fire roaring in the hearth. Scraps of colorful paper littered the floor. Rey had been surprised to have received a gift from Ben’s parents. Her assortment of wire cutters, pliers, and multi-headed screwdrivers rested in the tissue-lined box in front of her.

When she brought out the gifts she had gotten for them, they had protested, but gave in and unwrapped them anyway.

“I wanted to. You’ve been so kind by letting me stay here and spend Christmas with you.”

Ham grunted as he held up a pair of black faux leather gloves.

“Oh, good, you needed a new pair of gloves after you got oil all over your last pair. You are not allowed to wear those while working on your car.”

“Don't tell me what to do, woman!” His words held no ire in them.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get you anything, Luke,” Rey said. “I didn’t know that you were going to be here.”

“It’s fine. You can add your name to the gift Leia got me like Han and Ben do.”

“Hey, I helped pick out your gift,” Han protested.

Rey handed Ben his present. He tore the paper off his gift and stared.

“If you don’t like it, I have a gift receipt,” the words tumbled out of her. 

“No. No, it’s great.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” he smiled, staring at the thick, black leather bound journal she had gifted him. The edges of the pages, too, had been stained black, giving it an under-worldly feel. On the bottom right-hand corner, his initials had been imprinted into the cover.

She exhaled. “Good, because I’m not sure if it can be returned after I got it engraved.”

“No, it’s perfect.” He set the journal down. “I don’t really have your gift with me here, but...here.”

He handed her an envelope. Hesitantly, she opened it. Inside was a gift certificate to Takodana Nursery.

“I know how much you love plants. And you’ve talked about wanting to get some for your apartment, so I thought we could go down one day and pick some out.”

She sniffed.

“Rey?”

“I...I love it.”

He beamed.

 

Mid-afternoon, long after they had eaten lunch, Ben and Rey brought down their suitcases.  
Rey thanked them profusely for sharing their Christmas with her.

“Are you sure you want to head out this late? It will be dark soon,” Luke commented.

Leia agreed. “You can stay another night if you’d like.”

“We appreciate the offer, but Rey has work in the morning.”

Her bones chilled, the instant she stepped outside. Grey clouds hung overhead, trying their best to blot out the sun. The snow that had been covering the streets that morning had turned to dusty sludge, marking the trails the drivers before they had taken.

“You two be careful, okay,” Leia said. 

The four of them said their goodbyes, and she and Ben were off.

An hour later the snow had begun to fall again. At first, it was barely noticeable, melting as soon as it hit the car. Rey’s eyes chased the little water droplets as they ran down the windshield.

At some point, the snow had become less docile and fell in sheets. It stuck to the road, forcing Ben to slow down. Luckily, they were the only ones on the road, so the change in speed only affected them.

Suddenly, they hit a patch of black ice. In the process of swerving to get ahold of the vehicle, Ben swore as he lost control of the wheel and they rolled into a snowbank.

“We should probably wait for the snow to clear up a bit,” Ben suggested after a beat.

Rey, clutching the sides of her seat, tried to steady her heart. “That sounds like a good idea,” her voice cracked.

“I saw a Waffle House about a mile back. We could go wait it out there,” he suggested. “We would have to walk, though.”

Rey looked at the snow coming down in sheets. The prospect of leaving the warmth of the car to trudge through slush in below freezing weather did not appeal to her. Her stomach, however, had other ideas.

She sighed and pulled on her coat. “Let’s go.”

 

“I can’t get through to the tow place.”

“Oh, yeah, the cell phone towers are out, hun.” The blonde waitress said as she poured their coffee.

“Do you think your car will be okay?” Rey asked after the waitress had left.

“There’s not much we can do about it.” He glanced out the window, “It’s snowing even harder now. I don’t think it would be wise to try to get back on the road tonight.”

Rey groaned and laid her head on the table. “What are we going to do?”

“Do you want to hike back to my parent’s house?”

“If there’s no other option.” Driving, they were over an hour away from the Organa estate. She didn’t even want to think how long it would take to walk back there in a snowstorm.

“There’s a motel about a block from here,” the waitress returned with their food. “I know it’s the holidays, but they usually have room. Tell ‘em Sunni sent you. Now, can I get you anything else?”

The two thanked her, and she left them to discuss their plans over their breakfast food. 

After going over their limited options, they decided it would be best to check into the motel and try to get back on the road in the morning. They paid and, stopping back at his car to grab their luggage, headed to the motel.

Rey connected to the motel’s achingly slow wifi and typed out an email to her boss, hoping and praying it would get through. As Rey tried to get through to her boss, Ben checked them into a room.

She had just hit send when he walked back over to her, room keys in hand.

Much to Rey’s chagrin, the two headed back out into the cold to get to their room. Ben fumbled with the keys as he unlocked the door. They rushed inside, swiftly closing the door behind them.

Ben turned on the heater as Rey took in the room. It wasn’t the Ritz, that was for sure. An old box television sat on a beat up dresser. A couple of wooden chairs and a table stood underneath a faded watercolor of a lake. A small bathroom holding a toilet and shower stood off in the corner, leaving the sinks and mirror open to the rest of the main room. And, the most noteworthy of all, there was only one bed.

“This was the only room they had available,” he explained. “I can take the floor.”

Rey glanced down at the old shag carpet lining the floor, noting the mysterious splotches that stained it. “Yeah, no.”

He threw a pillow on the ground. “I’m fine, really.”

“I’m not letting you sleep on the filthy ground.” 

“Well, I’m not going to let you sleep on it either, if that’s what you’re proposing.”

“I’m not-- _look,_ the bed’s big enough for the both of us. Neither of us should have to sleep on the ground.”

“But--”

“We’re both adults, aren’t we? We’ve sat together in your bed before. How is this any different?”

Ben’s flushed but relented.

“I’m going to go take a shower, and I’d better not see you making a bed on the floor.”

 

Street lights bled through the plastic blinds. Even with the heater cranked up as high as it would go, Rey still felt cold. Her damp hair didn’t make matters any better. Teeth chattering, she buried herself deeper in the covers. Eventually, going as far as covering her face with the sheets. 

She heard the door to the bathroom open and close. Footsteps made their way to the bed. Rey sensed Ben’s gaze on her. The mattress creaked under his weight as he joined her under the covers. Rey was surprised to find that she was disappointed that he managed to not accidentally bump her.

He let out a deep chuckle. “Are you cold?” 

She made an arch in the blanket, so she could look at him. “Freezing.”

“Well, you’re hogging the blankets.”

“If you want them, you’re gonna have to pry them out of my cold, dead hands.”

He scooted closer to her and her mound of covers. Without warning, he pulled her into his arms and held her. His arms were strong, but she didn’t feel trapped by them. He rested his chin on her head, making her aware of how uncomfortable her wet hair must be against his skin. If he was uncomfortable, though, he didn’t move.

Heat radiated off his body. Rey could feel herself slowly start to warm up. Her eyelids grew heavy as she breathed in his scent of cheap motel soap and remnants of cologne. 

“Is this okay?” uncertainty clouded his voice.

She wrapped her arms around him, pulling his warmth even closer. “It’s perfect.”

His heartbeat played a fast tune, mirroring her own. Their tandem hearts slowed into a steady melody, coupled with their breaths. She had just started to fall asleep when he spoke again. 

“I’m sorry.”

Brow furrowing, she looked up at him. “What for?”

“I...It’s my fault we’re stuck out here. It’s my fault that you can’t go to work tomorrow, and we’re in this icebox, and--” 

“Are you kidding? This was the best Christmas I’ve ever had.”

“Really?”

“Well, maybe not the _best_ Christmas. Last year, Finn and I accidentally recreated _The Santa Clause_ , but instead of ending up at a Denny’s, it was a Waffle House.” Her nose scrunched up, amusement twinkling in her eyes. “Glad to keep up that tradition. But that’s pretty much this year’s only competition.”

“So, you’re not mad we got snowed in?”

She shook her head. “It’s kind of an adventure if you think about it. Plus, that means I get to spend more time with you. You make me feel...understood. Like, I love the others to death, but sometimes I feel like I’m watching them from a distance.” She yawned, “With you, I don’t feel that way. Alone.”

“You’re not alone.”

“Neither are you,” she managed to say before sleep overcame her.

 

She woke up still wrapped in his arms. Her back pressed into to his chest. His arm slung over her hip. Their legs were intertwined. His breath fan across the back of her neck. He had wrapped himself around her like he was trying to shield her from the rest of world.

She tried not to move out of the fear of waking him up, but that fear was short lived. 

He groaned and buried his face in her shoulder. The arm around her waist tightened.

Despite how much she wished to fall back asleep like this, she knew they needed to check out soon. “We should check the roads. See if we can get home.”

He huffed and rolled over. Rey instantly missed his warmth. 

The two got ready in a sleepy silence. Occasionally they bumped into each other, leaning into the touch a few seconds too long for it to be considered a total accident.

By the time they checked out, most of the snow had melted, and the streets had been cleared, making it safe for them to drive. Within an hour, they were back on the road.

Tension hung thick in the air surrounding them. Rey wondered if he was going to bring up last night. He didn’t, so neither did she. Maybe she was making a bigger deal out of it than it really was. But, truly, she didn’t think so.

A few hours later, they stood at the door to her apartment.

“Would you like to come in for coffee?”

“Are we going to talk about last night?”

She stilled, keys hanging from the lock, her hand hovering over the handle. A stray anxious thought wormed its way into her mind.

_What if he regretted all he had said the night before. What if he never wanted to have anything to do with her again._

She resumed opening the door. She heard Ben follow her in and close the door behind him.

“What do you want to talk about ?” ice crystalized over her words. 

He took a step back. She searched his eyes, trying to detect anything that would confirm her fears. She found none.

“I just wanted to know if you meant it--those things you said about me. Because I sure as hell meant what I said to you.”

“You did?”

He took a tentatively advanced towards her. “With all my heart. You don’t have to be alone anymore.”

“And I meant all that I said to you, Ben.”

His eyes flicked down to her lips. 

They drew closer as if their whole lives they had been aimlessly floating through space only to finally be caught in each other’s orbit. They met each other halfway, their lips colliding like asteroids into each other. The kiss ended just as quickly as it had begun.

“Merry Christmas, Ben,” she murmured against his lips.

He pulled her back in. Instead of going straight for her lips, he kissed the cut her chin. 

“Still sorry about that.” 

He tried to kiss her again, but she kept giggling.

“Stop it, I’m trying to be romantic,” he pouted. 

“Sorry,” she schooled her features. Then, grabbing the collar of his coat, she pulled him down into another kiss.

This time, he took control, deepening it. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He placed his hands on her hips, to steady her or himself she didn’t know. He pulled her closer to him as if trying to make not sure even air could separate them. She ran her fingers through his hair. He hummed in response.

Even after they broke apart, they continued to hold onto each other.

“Merry Christmas, Rey.” His lips brushed against her forehead. 

“Looks like Rose won the bet.”

Ben pulled back, confusion etched into his face. “What bet?”

She laughed. Kissing the corner of his mouth, she said, “Ask Poe when you get home.”

**Author's Note:**

> This took forever to write. I hope you enjoyed it if you stuck around to the end. I am not used to writing romance, so this was an experience, to say the least. I hope it turned out okay, but as I have to keep reminding myself, I am still learning and still improving with each piece I write.
> 
> I had so many things that I wanted to put in the notes section of this fic, but, like an idiot, I didn't write them down when I thought of them.
> 
> Anyways, I was going to have Rey and Ben stop at a random road-side small-town diner, but with Waffle House coming out as a Reylo, I knew I had to reference them. Also, as a thank you for the Waffle House incident, I had to include Poppi_Willow, the person responsible for this hilarious Twitter event. (TBH, I have no idea how to link her profile so that you can see her)
> 
> On a final note, please feel free to leave a kudos or a comment!


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